SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ILLINOIS
THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL) franchise in Illinois: what the public record shows
Franchisees of THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL) in Illinois have taken 100 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $281,734). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted less often than franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 1 charge-offs among 34 resolved loans, where about 6.1 would be expected (0.2×). THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL)'s national ratio is 0.4×. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 187 franchised outlets in Illinois (fiscal 2025) — about 1.47 per 100k residents.
Loans in IL
100
Charged off (all years)
1 of 36
Loss ratio in IL
0.2×
Loss ratio nationally
0.4×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = IL. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.
Businesses in this industry
923
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
7.3
national 8.1
Versus the country
-10%
thinner
Every business in THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL)'s industry operating in Illinois — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
Avg weekly wage, this industry
$1,664
Illinois, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$1,212
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+37%
costlier to staff
What THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL)'s industry actually pays workers in Illinois, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 178 | — |
| 2024 | 182 | — |
| 2025 | 187 | — |
| System | Loans in IL | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in IL | Units in IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mail Boxes Etc. Usa | 35 | 4 of 28 | — | — |
| Fastsigns | 29 | 3 of 16 | — | — |
| Signarama | 24 | 2 of 8 | — | — |
| ALPHAGRAPHICS | 21 | 7 of 21 | — | 14 |
| Ameriprise Financial Services | 20 | 0 of 15 | — | — |
| Allstate Insurance | 16 | 0 of 8 | — | — |
| JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE | 14 | 0 of 9 | — | — |
| Minuteman Press | 12 | 4 of 10 | — | — |
| Sir Speedy Printing | 10 | 1 of 7 | — | 4 |
| Express Personnel Services | 9 | 2 of 4 | — | — |
| CMIT Solutions | 7 | 0 of 4 | — | — |
| Fedex Ground | 7 | 0 of 6 | — | — |
Other systems in THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL)'s sector whose franchisees borrowed in Illinois. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.
A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL)’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.